The bells on Great Buddha Mountain rang in unison, and a halo of Buddhist light rose up. Buddhas and Bodhisattvas could be faintly seen within it. Celestial Maiden Jia Lan danced in the air, and the sound of chanting could be heard from a thousand miles away.
The monks of the monastery all brought their palms together in the direction of the grand hall at the top of the mountain and chanted, "Amitābha."
"Zen Heart Dharma Assembly! I wonder which disciple has such good fortune? "A middle-aged monk stopped sweeping the broom in his hand and asked enviously.
"Senior Brother, there's no need to be envious. As long as we work hard in our cultivation, we'll also have such a day." The young monk beside him advised. Then, he lowered his head and swept the fallen leaves, no longer paying attention to others.
"Sigh, it's not that easy!"
Just like how it took quite a lot of effort for the Banyan Tree King to condense a single fruit of wisdom, the monastery of Chan Monastery of Deva-Nāga had to expend the power of belief that they had accumulated over ten thousand years each time they held a dharma assembly. They were as careful as they could be with every single person they chose.
"Junior Brother Qingshan is indeed not a Demon King."
In a Buddhist temple, One Lamp opened his eyes and smiled. Then, he closed his eyes and continued to cultivate.
In the center of the Mahavira Hall, under the gaze of the towering Buddha statue, Li Qingshan sat in an irregular posture. His hands were casually placed on his knees. His long black hair hung loosely, and there was a solemn aura on his bronze-colored face.
Suddenly, the Buddha statue's slightly closed eyes seemed to open a little. Its thick golden lips spat out a mysterious Zen sound. In an instant, flowers fell from the sky and golden lotuses appeared on the ground. It seemed real yet illusory.
The Heavenly Flower landed in his sea of consciousness, creating waves of ripples. As the ripples converged, many golden lotuses bloomed.
Li Qingshan's posture gradually relaxed, and he simply sat cross-legged again. He supported his cheek with one hand, a thoughtful look on his face, as if he had comprehended something.
Outside the grand hall, the Dauntless monk's face eased up. "He really does possess a buddhist nature."
If a Demon King from the Demon Domain came to enjoy this meditation spell assembly, his will would definitely collapse, his demonic power would go out of control, and he would die on the spot. However, there was not a hint of struggle on his face. He accepted it calmly, which showed that he was not a Demon King.
"Senior brother, you're still worried!" The Unraging monk smiled.
"If you were the Abbot, you would be the Abbot. You're worried too, "said the Dauntless monk.
Time passed. As the sun set in the west, the sky gradually darkened. Only the light on Great Buddha Mountain grew brighter and brighter. All of them knelt down in the direction of the Great Buddha Mountain. He prostrated himself in worship.
Suddenly. A streak of seven-coloured light approached from afar, barging into the golden sky and landing in front of the Chan Monastery of Deva-Nāga. He turned into a monk with a ruddy complexion and high spirits. He wore a large red Kasaya with golden threads and was adorned with jewels that emitted a strange light. He held a nine-ringed Buddhist staff in his hand, and as he walked, clanking sounds rang out.
"Welcome, Senior Brother Seven Treasures. Apologies for not going out to meet you."
With a boom, the mountain gate swung open. The various doors on the mountain opened one after another, and the Dauntless monk personally came out to receive them. He brought his palms together and bowed.
"Junior brother Dauntless, ever since you succeeded as the abbot of the monastery, it's already been a hundred and thirty years since we last met!" The Monk King of the Seven Treasures returned the gesture and smiled, but it vanished in a flash.
"Please!" The Dauntless monk waved his hand, and the two monks arrived at the top of the mountain together, greeting the Unraging monk again.
"Unfortunately, the main hall has been occupied today. Please come sit in the side hall, senior brother," said the Dauntless monk.
"May I ask who is in there listening to the meditation assembly?" The Monk King of the Seven Treasures pointed at the main hall and asked.
"A disciple." The Dauntless monk was reluctant to talk too much. He exchanged glances with the Unraging monk, both wondering why the Monk King of the Seven Treasures had come.
The three of them sat down in the side hall, and the young monk served them tea. The Monk King of the Seven Treasures touched his lips before setting it down gently.
"Is this tea not to your liking, senior brother?" the Dauntless monk asked.
"I'm used to the Three Leaf Bodhi Tea of the Lingguo temple. Other teas just lack a hint of zen," said the Monk King of the Seven Treasures.
"The temple is cramped, so there's no better tea. However, there are a few jars of fine alcohol. Will you be able to drink it, senior brother Seven Treasures?" The Unraging monk chuckled and drank all the tea in his cup.
"Junior brother Unraging is still the same as before. Although your murderousness has lessened by a lot, the smell of alcohol and meat has become heavier. The school of zen may not be bound by secular etiquette, but we still have to abide by the precepts of buddhism, or how are we supposed to set an example for the masses?" The Monk King of the Seven Treasures frowned slightly.
"Only senior brother Seven Treasures can shoulder the great responsibility of setting an example for the masses. Someone as slow-witted as me can only hope," said the Unraging monk.
The Monk King of the Seven Treasures could hear the mockery in his words. He smiled. "I'd advise you not to be too impudent today, junior brother."
The Unraging monk raised an eyebrow. Right when he was about to say something, the Dauntless monk asked, "You never come without a reason. Why have you come to the Green province instead of cultivating in the Dragon province, senior brother?"
"Speaking of which, this does have something to do with junior brother Unraging. Do you have a disciple called Li Qingshan?" asked the Monk King of the Seven Treasures.
The Unraging monk shivered inside. "That's right!"
"Seven days ago, the third crown prince of Great Xia, Si Qing, wrote a letter to the imperial court, saying that this Li Qingshan practised demonic arts and became a Demon King, becoming a lackey of the Demon domain. Our Great Lingguo temple bears the responsibility of monitoring all monks in the world, so we were given the orders of the imperial advisor of the left to specially investigate this matter. May I ask where Li Qingshan is right now? Get him out here!"
The Monk King of the Seven Treasures said indifferently, but his words left no room for doubt. He directly treated the Chan Monastery of Deva-Nāga as his own backyard. When he recalled Si Qing's instructions and promises before he had set off, his confidence became firmer.
Li Qingshan had destroyed Si Qing's body, and he had finally found a new body after much difficulty. He spent a lot of time merging it with his soul, but it was unavoidable for his cultivation to suffer a great loss. His hatred towards Li Qingshan ran as deep as the ocean.
Originally, when the crown prince's body was destroyed and he was basically on the brink of death, that was enough for the imperial court to fly into a thunderous rage. However, it was a fair duel with Li Qingshan, and he was the one who had proposed a duel to the death. If they made things difficult for him because of that, he would just be asking to be humiliated. He would only become a laughingstock. As a result, he came up with this idea.
The Dauntless monk frowned. Sure enough, he had come with ill intentions.
The Lingguo temple was known as the greatest temple in the world, the leader of the buddhist sects of the nine provinces. The abbot of the Lingguo temple was one of the two Grand Imperial Advisors of Great Xia, possessing the status of commanding all the buddhist disciples in the world. Even when the abbot of the Chan Monastery of Deva-Nāga took over the legacy, they had to obtain permission from the Lingguo temple. Although it was just a formality, it was enough to demonstrate their might.
Apart from their status, they also possessed corresponding strength. There were countless Monk Kings in the past. Even in today's Great Xia's decline, the Dauntless monk still dared not underestimate them.
"Bastard!" The Unraging monk cursed aloud.
"What did you say?" The Monk King of the Seven Treasures was infuriated.
"Senior brother Seven Treasures, don't misunderstand. I'm not talking about you, but this kid, Si Qing. He lost in the duel, but instead of working hard on his cultivation, he slandered my disciple as a Demon King. He's utterly humiliated the imperial family!"
"Our Chan Monastery of Deva-Nāga possesses a secret technique, the Demon Suppression Statuary. It might seem a little similar to demonic arts, but it's a genuine buddhist cultivation method. I practise this cultivation method, so don't tell me I'm also a Demon King?"
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